Haze does not look up as I enter the room.
He does not seem to even notice as I take a place at one of the chairs in middle, until I say, "You seem comfortable."He looks up at me lazily, through heavy lashes, thickened with sleep and wolfsbane. Silence. Then his eyes crinkle, his head tips back and all I can hear is the ricochets of his loud, reverberating laughter.I grit my teeth, willing patience in my nerves. If I kill him here, how much questions will that raise? Many, a voice says. I don't think killing someone would be an ideal position for me to gain trust of my new found mate's court, whose resources I very dearly need. So I quietly settle for a glare and gesture him to take a seat.His gaze narrows but he obeys, standing with poorly hidden lethargy and dropping down with a careless thud. "I should've known you would weasel your way out.""I should've known you would be such a pain in the ass.""Well, we need some c"All accept ksei, Noah Silverton as their King?" Noah knew he could be challenged for the throne any moment. Then he would have to fight and kill, only to land back at the dais, in front of the Elders of Vermiculo Pack. A pack Noah would be made Alpha of a day after. The coronation before the marking demonstrated that he was to be a King before an Alpha. And challenging the strongest werewolf on land would be folly, yet there was a moment of silence for anyone to arise one. On his knees, with a wolf's bane flower and a moon stone in either hand, Noah held his breath. He was only eighteen, being handed the throne three years after his father's death, from the clutches of a hungry council who enjoyed their interim rule over Utrif. He was not prepared for this. But now he had to pretend he was. And he could take on a challenger, couldn't he? Uncertainty clouded his vision for a moment. He shook it away. The coronation was something made to be after the first kingdo
Leona To kill or be killed. That is all it is for Rogues—was for me. No alternative. No say in what I was, where I was and how I was. One path, choice, way and life. Bloodshed. Now, however, I am to be grateful for breathing air in the open and that alone. The tide grows weak every second indicating the sun's arrival. The salty, cold breezes are continuous and harsh. I snuggle closer in the warmth of my jacket, ignoring the buzz of my cellphone. Seconds stretch into long minutes. Sighing out loud, I push myself off the side-walk's railing, seize my cellphone out and with much reluctance, pick up the call. "Yes?" I answer dryly. "Did it help?" the voice is deep, threatening and filled with pent up rage. "What helped?" "Being an idiot and going out in the open at this time." I roll my eyes, knowing the new Alpha can't see me in the least. "Seri sea wall. Taking a stroll." "Your location is the least of my concerns, Leona," he says. "I am the least of your concerns, R
Longing roils in the pit of my stomach as I set foot inside my pack building after weeks. Everything reminds me of him. Every single detail screams of his absence. Death is unforeseen and unsought. It comes knocking at your door and suddenly life doesn't make sense. From the moment I was found by Alpha Renier half dead at the outskirts of their vacation home's hunting grounds, he considered me his own. The pack wasn't given much of an explanation about how the Alpha family suddenly had a new daughter. Most considered me to be an illegitimate child. This made Aria, Alpha Reiner's wife hate me even more. And she made her disdain pretty evident, further feeding the rumours until they became half truths for everyone. Rey, on the other hand, simply did not care. It was like I was never there. Like I didn't matter. I am shaken out of my trance when a there's a sudden pick in my heart beat. It thumps rapidly and continuously. I suddenly feel heavy for some reason.
My feet are stuck in place. My heartbeat is fast. But not because I am scared. I... am happy. There's a certain dizziness that envelopes me whole, heightening my senses. I can feel everything. I can hear everything. My wolf is at the surface. I only feel excitment even though death is directly knocking at my door now. My wolf howls in delight. I feel heavy. Almost as if something is pulling me. "Where are they?" Rey asks. "They are at the embassy," Haze replies. The wave of relief that washes over me and Rey is shared. But then he adds, "however, the head of delegation, along with ten others is here. He is in an audience with the elders right now." Rey swears under his breath. "The meeting is in a week. What is their purpose of coming a week prior" "Due to serious threats to the delegation, there was a sudden change in plans as a security precaution. The Union has decided for the meeting to take place tomorrow. We have just been notified." "Security
"Mate," he says, his voice a silent thunder, a command. As if, he knows who I am, he is just making sure everyone else does either. I have heard stories about this. How you just know. A blessing. No matter who you are, how you are, what kind you are, a blessing for all. But somehow I led myself to believe I was an exception. I have never been so happy to be proven wrong. I raise my hand. He can't be real. I breathe in. I have a mate. I breathe out. My palm touches the fabric of his cursed mask and everything falls into place. I sigh, a wave of gratification rendering me breathless for a whole minute. He's real. "Mine," I gasp, more shocked than joyful. My mate likes that. The slight crinkles under his eyes show that. His eyes are sharp, sweeping through every inch, every corner of me. I do the same. Though, there is not much to find. A dark cloack, a dark mask and a dark cap. All I can see is his eyes. A part of me screams to rip the cloth off his face
Fate plays with you in funny ways. A single look, a single moment, that was all my luck could give me with my mate. I start towards the end of the basement, where Haze mentioned the car would be. Its not there so I wait. The basement is empty. No one in sight. Only their cars. I catch my breath for a second. In just a few hours I will be in Utrif. A place of death for rogues. It doesn't leave me. The reminder that my home is no longer my home. I never belonged anywhere. I had a home. It went away. I found my mate. And I had to walk away. Everything I get, I only get so I can see it being taken away. Pain swirls up my palm. I loosen my nails from there and only then realize the crescent moons reddened in my palm. Within seconds they start to subtly stitch themselves up. Tissues connect slowly. The red dissolves into pink and then finally into its pale tone. But it is for the better— I stand. Scents, bitter and wrong surround me. Rogues. They're here. But I am not sca
Valis lunges forward in less than a moment. I sidestep, movement fluid and precise, and dodge him with no effort. I may have been resting here for seven years but that does not mean I would let the torturous training I endured go to waste. Valis barely has time to react before my fist connects with his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. I spin on my heel, my movements a blur, and deliver a swift kick to the other rogue's midsection. He doubles over, gasping for air. Valis lunges again, his claws extended. I dodge, feeling the rush of air as his claws slice through the space where my head had previously been. I counter with a powerful punch to his ribs, the impact reverberating through my arm. Valis staggers but remains standing, his eyes blazing with fury. "You'll pay for that," he snarls, spitting blood on the rough pavement. I aim a kick at his knee but Valis catches my leg, wrenching me off balance. I twist in mid-air, landing awkwardly but on my feet. Pain flar
I am a fast runner. But the kalhyi are faster. I don't count how many of them are there. But they are a big number. And all of them catch up to me in no time. One of them lands a slight blow to my leg. I don't falter. Show pain and you're as good as dead. With a swift, decisive motion, I drive my elbow into its throat. It falls back, immediately going still. I don't stop to monitor its ability to move again and bolt through the endless rows of cars. That's when it happens. Something rakes across my front, sharp and swift. Claws. A loud roar renders the place silent and only when my legs buckle and I come face to face with the ground do I realise it was my roar. Heavy weight pushes me further into the ground. My vision swims with stars. With a single thundering growl, I heave out my claw from under me and dig it into the weight's side with all my might. An even more tremendous wail is let loose at my gesture. I hoist myself up from t